Please Don't Leave
by KuroiShii
Summary: Hinamori can't help but hope that someday, somehow, everything will be alright, but she has soon to learn that life doesn't always have happy endings. A one-shot, please review and/or drop off your opinions?


[A/N: First person POV and present tense because I'm a fail. Second fanfiction, just a one-shot, I hope enjoy! Please feel free to drop by a review with any critiques or opinions. ^^]

Note: Hardcore HitsuHina fans please leave. I'm among you, but... I'm not sure. c;

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters, as much as I wish I did. Everything belongs to Tite Kubo. I also based the plot a very tiny bit off a Vocaloid song. If any of you could guess it correctly, I'll love you forever.

* * *

As the bright sunlight streams through the clouds onto the human world, I prepare myself for the first day at Karin-chan's school. The captain-commander had decided it's a "worthy experience" for most school aged children.

_I don't know whether to be excited or worried, _I think with a sigh. _Only Toshirou's going to this school out of all the other shinigami. _

Toshirou… that reminds me, I'll be walking to school with him today. I can't help but feel a tingle of excitement up my spine as I think of spending more time with him than back in Seireitei. Grabbing my bag, I head toward Kurosaki-san's house, where Toshirou is staying.

"Ohayo, Hinamori," Toshirou greets while heading out the door. "Is it alright if Karin-chan walks with us to school for the duration of our stay?"

"Sure! Nice to meet you, Kurosaki-san." I can't help but feel a bit disappointed that we have another person along, but shake the selfish thought away. Of course it's too much to ask for Toshirou all to myself.

"Call me Karin," the black-haired girl says, waving off my greeting.

The more we walk, the more I drift away from Toshirou and Karin. At first, they try to include me in their conversation, but soon they find new interests they share, and forget about me altogether.

"Hey, is it alright if I go take a shortcut from here?" I ask, hoping Toshirou will come with me.

"Sure, sure," Toshirou replies barely after I finish my sentence.

Even with my shortcut, I can't stray far from them, and I end up listening in on their conversations. _He sounds like he's having so much fun with her,_ I think. _That's all that matters, right? As long as he's happy, I should be happy… right? _Guilt floods in again when I realize that that's not true.

I arrive at the school a few moments before Karin and Toshirou, and greet them again once there. "Looks like we have the same first period, Toshirou-kun," I note hopefully.

"Hm, too bad Karin-chan isn't with us. Oh well, the bell's going to ring soon, so why don't we head over, Hinamori?" Toshirou sighs.

_Why does Karin get "-chan" added at the end of her, and not me? Perhaps it's because he's known me longer. Yes, that's it._ I convince myself against the obvious, and I feel perfectly fine living in my perfect little world made of lies. Too many thoughts fill up my head, so I just nod.

First period is science, and right away the teacher assigns a group project. I look over at Toshirou's direction, wondering if we could be partners. Luck doesn't seem to want to work my way, however, and I end up with a shy girl who doesn't seem to want to talk very much. We exchange a few "hey"s and finish our project second—after Toshirou's group.

Second and third period whiz by without a sign of Toshirou, and lunch is there before I know it. Scanning the lunch area, I find Toshirou sitting alone, without Karin, luckily. However, my science partner from before calls me over, and I sit with her friends for the whole lunch break. They're nice, and very funny, but it's just not the same when I laugh with them.

The bell that signals the end of lunch rings. I look over at Toshirou's direction again, and he's staring toward Karin's general direction. _It has to be a coincidence,_ I try and convince myself.

The rest of the day ends without a sign of him yet again, and I see him walking home alone. I run to catch up to him, but not before Karin gets there first.

"Hey, Hinamori, want to join us?" Karin calls out from ahead.

"No, I'm fine," I reply with a wave. I can always see him tomorrow. Maybe it'll be better than that. Maybe during science, we'll be partners, and maybe he'll tell me that he likes me! That would be just perfect. I doze off into a daydream while arriving at a local park. I had managed to finish all the homework that I could during the breaks we had in between classes, so I can afford to waste some time reading at the park.

Hours pass before I realize that I can't focus on the story with everything going on, and I keep feeling this weird sensation that's like all of my insides are backwards. Putting the book down, I get up and walk away from the park.

"Oh, sorry, excuse me," a voice mutters, "I think you left your backpack here."

I turn around and see no other but the familiar white-haired kid who occupies my thoughts. "Arigatou, Shirou-chan!" I thank. _He's not leaving! Could that mean that…_ "Um, is it alright if I tell you something kind of important right now?"

"Sure, go ahead. Is it about the math homework? Because you do know that different teachers assign different problems, right?" he asks.

"No, well, um… yeah, I know that, but well," I stutter. My heartbeat sounds so loud that I am sure that he can hear it as well, "never mind, I'll tell you tomorrow or some other time."

Toshirou nods and begins to walk away, towards Karin's house. _No, I'm such an idiot! _"Wait!" I shout, grabbing his hand to prevent him from walking any further.

Toshirou turns around, awaiting my explanation. _It's too late to give up now, as much as I wish I could. _"I…er, that is, I," I can hear the desperation rising in my voice and the deafening sound of my heartbeat. Looking into his eyes, I finish, "I really like you, Shirou-chan!"

_Why isn't he replying? Why isn't he saying "I like you too"? Why isn't he saying "Let's start again?" _

"Sorry."

"W-What do you mean?" I whisper.

"Let's not talk anymore. I'm sorry." With that, the main figure of my life walks away.

_Don't leave me, _I want to say. _Please don't leave me. I'll be fine if you don't like me. But I can't live without you. I'm so sorry… what have I done?_

That night, I sit at the exact spot and replay the conversation that had taken place until the sun rises. With my hopes for the time spent at school dashed, I find no reason in going today, but walk over anyways.

The morning is a rainy one, with grey skies and water droplets that sting. I take the same "shortcut" I did the first day and find myself listening in on Karin and Toshirou's conversation.

"So, you and Momo are quite the couple back at your Soul Society place, I've heard. Is that true?" Karin inquires.

"Nah, she's just a friend. Actually, I think she's too quiet and _way_ too clingy," Toshirou hastily explains. "Really, the person I like is _you._"

"Well, I guess you could say that I _kind of_ like you too," Karin says, blushing. "but let's wait until you're older for now." The two of them laugh the rest of the way to school, probably relieved they got their confessions out of the way.

_I'm too clingy? Yes, I must be too clingy. Why else would he say that? I'm sorry for being clingy to you, Shirou-chan, but why can't you forgive me?_ Is the water falling onto my face from the rain or tears? I don't know why, but even hearing Toshirou say all that about me, I still like him more than anyone else. I always knew deep inside me that he didn't like me, but I just had to go and ruin everything, didn't I?

_That's alright,_ I think, _there are plenty of fish in the sea, right? There has to be someone else that I'll like instead,_ but I can't help feeling like it'll never be the same.

* * *

[A/N: Should I do another version of this from Hitsugaya or Karin's view? Truth be told, I'm not a fan of HitsuKarin, but I just felt like I needed some rivalry against Hinamori, and Matsumoto is a no, since she doesn't fit the part. For a bit more of HitsuHina, check out my only other story and maybe even leave a review? Thanks! ^^]


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